Wilkes County Deputy Hurt in Head-On Crash
A deputy in Wilkes County, North Carolina, was seriously injured after an impaired driver's vehicle crossed the center line and struck the deputy's patrol car head-on. The incident, which occurred on Highway 115, involved a total of three vehicles. An investigation into the crash is currently underway.
- The injured deputy has been identified as 27-year-old Erik Bueno-Medina. He was on duty and responding to a call at the time of the collision. - The driver who caused the crash was 47-year-old Darrell Dean Kilby of Millers Creek. He was charged with driving while impaired and careless and reckless driving, with additional charges pending. - The incident occurred around 3:55 p.m. when Kilby's northbound 2003 Ford F-150 crossed the centerline. - Before the head-on collision, Kilby's truck first sideswiped a southbound 2009 Ford F-250 that was hauling a boat. The driver of the F-250 was not injured. - Deputy Bueno-Medina was operating a 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe patrol vehicle when he was struck. - Following the crash, Deputy Bueno-Medina was transported to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem with severe but non-life-threatening injuries that required surgery. - Highway 115 near Hunting Creek Road was closed for approximately three hours while the North Carolina State Highway Patrol investigated the scene.
